Damiana, for Cold Dames

Women occasionally can experience frigidity (lack of interest in or feeling repulsed by sex) for some of the same mental, emotional, and physical reasons that men suffer from impotency. However, some other factors may be involved for women, including vaginal dryness caused by menopause, hormonal changes, or physical problems with the uterus, ovaries, or cervix that keep sex from being enjoyable. Find out what could be causing these problems, and talk to your doctor for answers. Follow the other guidelines in the previous table that also can work for men, and then start taking damiana.
Damiana (pronounced dame-ee-anna) (Turnera aphrodisiaca) has served both men and women as a sexual stimulant. This plant comes from Mexico and the West Indies and has been used historically to tone the nervous system and stimulate testosterone, predominately a male hormone. (Women have a little in their system, too.) Herbs will help balance out the body, so don’t worry—you shouldn’t start growing facial hair!
You ladies will also find damiana useful for hot flashes, depression, vertigo, PMS, and constipation It has been used to strengthen kidneys and ease menopausal symptoms. Some have even smoked damiana before making love (not recommended here!).

Yohimbe for Men: Hard to Find

Taking into account that many factors can be linked to impotence, I have highlighted one herb that has a stimulating effect on the male species. The herb known as yohimbe is a very powerful herb that is hard to come by (no pun intended!), for the pure stuff can sell for as high as $1.00 per capsule.
The bark of this herb contains the alkaloid yohimbine, known for its effects on the circulatory system—especially to the genitals. This tropical plant is found in West Africa and has been smoked, snuffed, and rubbed on the body for its sexually stimulating abilities. Yohimbe can cause hallucinations in high doses and is best mixed with other ingredients. See the table at the end of this chapter for a good combination you can use to heighten your senses without causing damage.
Yohimbe was the first FDA-approved substance for treating impotence and is successful in 34 to 43 percent of cases. You may want to try a combination that contains yohimbe before considering the drug Viagra. The side effects of Viagra include headaches, seeing blue, and blackouts due to a drop in blood pressure. Yohimbe used correctly and obtained from a quality manufacturer is a much safer way to add a boon to your sex life.

Impotence: A Very Impotent Subject

Pharmaceutical companies may have realized firsthand what a large problem male impotency has become with the explosive popularity of the new pharmaceutical drug Viagra®, a male sexual potency enhancer. But before you go experimenting with any pharmaceuticals, you might want to understand your underlying problem first. Once you eliminate some of your possible causes, I’ll turn you on to a healthy, holistic approach to impotency (or frigidity, in women) along with some very stimulating herbs.
These possible causes may be affecting your sexual interest or performance:

• Use of drugs such as blood pressure medication, tranquilizers, and antidepressants. Discuss these factors with your prescribing doctor.
• Illegal drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana, which can make a person numb to sex and may lead to impotency with prolonged use.
• Abuse of alcohol, which destroys important hormones and weakens sexual drive.
• Cigarette smoking, which can inhibit circulation to the groin area and contribute to impotency.Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to fat in the blood, hypertension, and/or calcium deposits), which inhibits circulation to all parts of the body and could affect your sex life.
• Mental or emotional issues from past experiences. Traumatic events or current stress all need to be evaluated to see whether this is the core of the problem—remember that sex is also a mental process.

All of these problems can be overcome separately with the use of herbs and changes in diet. But first you’ll need to consider which one(s) is most likely your contributing factor.